At least 188,676 people are in need of health assistance or are at risk of disease, after Cyclone Kenneth hit parts of north-eastern Mozambique, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported.
Cyclone Kenneth, the second category 3 cyclone to hit Mozambique within five weeks, brought widespread destruction and displacement and exacerbated health risks in the north-eastern province of Cabo Delgado after making landfall on 25 April.
The cyclone struck populations already vulnerable due to a fragile health system and weak water and sanitation infrastructure.
According to W.H.O, at least 17 health facilities are damaged and the number could rise as inaccessible areas open up.
Quissanga, Macomia and Ibo,are the worst-affected districts with reportedly up to 4,199 houses destroyed and over 38,000 partially damaged.
The Provincial Health Directorate is stepping up efforts for a cholera treatment centre as a preparatory measure due to the heavy rains and latrine exposure.
A field hospital has also been set up in Macomia with support from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), equipped with one month of supplies.
“There is still time to manage the risk of cholera, but we need to act now,” says Dr Djamila Cabral, WHO Representative in Mozambique. “We had an incredibly quick response in Beira, and we need to do the same work in Cabo Delgado.”
W.H.O says that a cholera risk assessment will be conducted for Cabo Delgado Province and the priority districts to determine urgent needs for medical supplies, where cholera treatment centres and oral rehydration posts are needed and which populations to target for vaccinations in case of need.
